#6533 [2005-01-13 20:54:19]
DVD Release: 'Twilight Samurai' offers both action, romance
by
kitsuno
'Twilight Samurai' offers both action, romance
Among the many primo Asian films to reach our shores and vidstores
over the past few months, Yoji Yamada's 2002 The Twilight Samurai,
newly released by Empire Pictures ($26.98), earns a spot at the top
of the list.
It's our...
DVD pick of the week
Seibei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada) is not your typical screen
samurai. A low-ranking office worker in a late-19th-century Japanese
village, the widowed Seibei spends his spare time caring for his
beloved young daughters and elderly mother. Potential romance enters
the picture when recently divorced former childhood friend Tomoe
(Rie Miyazawa) seeks to reconnect with Seibei. The only problem is
Tomoe's abusive, hard-drinking ex, a high-ranking samurai who's
determined to challenge Seibei to a duel.
While his film concludes with an intense action sequence, director
Yamada lavishes far greater attention on the rhythms of daily life
during a period of dramatic sociopolitical upheaval. Star Sanada,
who followed "The Twilight Samurai" with a prominent supporting role
in the Tom Cruise epic "The Last Samurai," gives a particularly
wrenching, textured performance as the decent family man torn
between his personal wishes and professional obligations.
Interesting interviews with actor Sanada and director Yamada
comprise the disc's only extras, but the film supplies sufficient
rewards in its own right to justify its purchase price.
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